Pundits love to gripe about how the notion of a work-life balance is a fallacy, but the Ridiculously Efficient mantra is a proven roadmap to achieving it. This mantra will rock your world: work hard, play harder.

Let's dive deeper. I believe firmly in the importance of working in spurts and emotional recharging to unlock productivity. These beliefs were recently backed up by a Captivate study on work-life balance, which appears below. In particular, notice how often the men took breaks for play and relaxation.

During work periods, push yourself out of your comfort zone in terms of productivity and effectiveness. Then reward yourself for efficient behavior with extended, no-holds-barred sessions of cathartic play. "Play" can be anything, so long as you consider it fun: a challenging gym session, quality time with family, cooking or baking, reading a new book, a case of beer, an early night's sleep.

Marissa has worked with some of the most visionary entrepreneurs on the planet. She’s dialed in to the frustrations these results-oriented, interrupt-driven individuals have with bureaucracy and suboptimal team performance. Her coaching helps entrepreneurs counteract growth-killing practices and unlock unparalleled performance from their support staff.